Case and account escalation differences

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Case and Account Escalation Differences

    This document outlines the distinctions between case escalations and account escalations in ServiceNow, highlighting how each is managed and the respective roles involved in the escalation process.

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    Key Features

    • Management: Case escalations are typically managed by customer service agents, while account escalations are overseen by account escalation managers.
    • Relationships: A case escalation corresponds to a single case, whereas an account escalation pertains to an account that can encompass multiple cases.
    • Templates: Case escalations utilize case escalation templates, while account escalations use account escalation templates.
    • Approval Workflow: Case escalations have an option to automatically add the case assignment group manager to the approval list; account escalations do not offer this due to multiple associated cases.
    • Assignment: Case escalations do not have a separate assignment; they are managed by the assigned customer service agent. Account escalations include a dedicated assignment for an escalation manager.
    • Watch List: Case escalations lack an automatic account team addition to the watch list, while account escalations do include this feature.
    • Escalation Updates: Updates from case escalations are reflected in the corresponding case record’s Work notes, whereas updates from account escalations are not added to the account record.
    • SLAs: SLAs for case escalations are attached to the case records, while SLAs for account escalations are linked to the account records.

    Key Outcomes

    Understanding the differences between case and account escalations allows ServiceNow customers to effectively manage escalations based on severity and the number of cases involved. This clarity enhances communication and efficiency in resolving customer issues.

    An overview of the differences between case escalations and account escalations.

    • Case escalations: A customer service agent typically manages a case escalation and performs most of the problem resolution work, which is recorded in the case record. For case escalations, the escalation record is used primarily for status reporting purposes. The escalation SLA is also associated with the case record rather than the escalation record because that is where the agent provides regular updates.
    • Account escalations: An account escalation manager typically manages an account escalation because it is associated with multiple underlying cases. An account manager works with multiple case owners to resolve the customer escalation and uses the escalation record to consolidate the status of the associated cases and provide regular updates. Therefore, the SLA is associated with the escalation record.
    Table 1. Case and account escalation differences
    Feature Case Escalation Account Escalation
    Relationships Corresponds one-to-one to a case. Corresponds one-to-one to an account. Users can link specific cases to the escalation record to indicate which cases are causing the escalation.
    Templates Uses case escalation templates. Uses account escalation templates.
    Approval workflow Includes an option to automatically add the manager of the case assignment group to the approver list when using the default approval workflow. Does not include an option to automatically add the manager of the case assignment group to the approver list because an account escalation can be associated with multiple cases.
    Escalation assignment Does not include a separate assignment. A case escalation corresponds to an individual case and the customer service agent manages the escalation. Includes a separate assignment. An account escalation can have multiple associated cases that are assigned to different agents so the escalation record includes an Assigned to field. An account escalation is typically assigned to an escalation manager because account escalations are typically more serious than case escalations.
    Watch list Does not include an option to automatically add an account team to the escalation watch list. Includes an option to automatically add an account team to the escalation watch list.
    Escalation updates added to case Updates to the escalation record are also added to the Work notes field on the corresponding case record. Updates to the escalation record are not added to the account record.
    SLAs The case escalation SLAs provided with the escalation feature are attached to the case. The account escalation SLAs provided with the escalation feature are attached to the account.